Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Popayan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Popayan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $804 in Popayan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,223 in Popayan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,642 in Popayan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than in Popayan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Popayan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.82 COP 12.4K

19.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$23.83 COP 77.6K

93.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.29 COP 23.7K

21.26%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.50 COP 4,898

104.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.88 COP 2,866

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.61 COP 1,977

-34.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.17 COP 3,798

107.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.21 COP 7,187

71.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.11 COP 3,602

103.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.29 COP 4,215

40.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.17 COP 3,823

92.31%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.22 COP 7,224

1.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$4.31 COP 14.0K

352.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.21 COP 17.0K

-29.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.16 COP 23.3K

82.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.52 COP 8,197

28.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.11 COP 3,622

45.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.37 COP 4,449

73.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.91 COP 2,958

123.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.12 COP 3,647

36.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.13 COP 3,684

32.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.81 COP 2,645

20.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.65 COP 2,116

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.41 COP 7,859

84.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$13.06 COP 42.5K

40.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.12 COP 3,658

66.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.74 COP 5,659

54.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.71 COP 2,325

98.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$30.45 COP 99.1K

-61.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.47 COP 4,800

111.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.65 COP 5,373

-36.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.19 COP 20.1K

127.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.00 COP 3,254

31.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$17.6K COP 57.4M

57.77%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$25.7K COP 83.6M

29.33%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$122 ฿4,118

$83.9 COP 273.0K

46.02%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.59 ฿457

$9.26 COP 30.1K

46.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$22.35 COP 72.8K

-16.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$23.29 COP 75.8K

159.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.87 COP 12.6K

134.37%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 ฿23.8K

$241 COP 784.9K

192.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,914 COP 19.3M

167.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$59.8 COP 194.6K

-2.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$32.82 COP 106.8K

7.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$84.4 COP 274.7K

36.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$72.3 COP 235.4K

15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$281 COP 914.1K

122.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$237 COP 771.0K

87.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$519 COP 1.7M

292.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$430 COP 1.4M

246.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,662 COP 5.4M

109.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,192 COP 3.9M

116.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.18

-59.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Popayan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $281 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Popayan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $179 per month, with Popayan cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Popayan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,207 in Popayan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $281 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $241 in Popayan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $804 in Popayan versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Popayan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Popayan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Popayan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Popayan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Popayan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.